Scarlet Warrior
by DragonChaos
Summary: Story of Auron's life, from childhood to the FFX adventure. Ch. 9's here!!! hope you like it! (eventually, as the story progresses, it'll become an auririkku) ...don't forget to R&R...i need feedback!
1. Part 1: Scarlet Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they all belong to SquareSoft, (if I owned them, do you think I'd be writing this?), except for some of the children I made up. You'll know who they are. The ideas are mine however, the story about Auron's past. I don't know if someone else thought of them first, but I decided to give it a go anyway. (I also don't know Auron's real last name, so I made one up…If someone could help me out with this one, I'd be much obliged).

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Scarlet Warrior

Part One: Scarlet Blood

Chapter 1: Auron's Childhood

Auron's father was killed by a Fiend shortly before his birth. He never knew his father, or what he did, until much later.

A little boy with jet black hair and russet eyes ran towards his house, the smell of dinner thick in the air, dancing across his senses. He was excited because tonight was the big Feast of Warriors, and he was going to be in it for the very first time. He was five years old, the youngest boy to ever be accepted as the Sword-Bearer for the traditional bonfire. This also meant he was allowed to stay up late. He burst into his house, his eyes shining when he saw what was being prepared. His favorite, Macalania Roast with pickled sausages, made by his mother. Each family had to contribute at least one part of the meal, and this year, the Hybrid family, was to prepare the main course. This was the hardest job, and one of the problems was that the Hybrid family only consisted of two people. Sienna and Auron.

"Auron, honey," his mother looked at him reprovingly when he tried to steal one of the pickled sausages. "Could you go back outside and let mommy finish her cooking?"

"But, mom…" Auron started to whine.

"No buts, today, little mister." She said firmly as she scooted him outside. "Go find that brat Braska and go play until I call you home." Auron found himself locked out of his house with a growling stomach. He decided that he would go and see if Braska would be willing to ask his mother for some food. It didn't take him long to find the youngster playing in the field known to all the children in the village as the Battlefield. The boys played war and the girls were rescued. There were a few girls that had started to play war with the boys, however, and this had proved quite interesting because they had beaten some of the leaders of the teams. One of them was Sonja, a four year old girl who was about as aggressive and as pushy as girls could be. Auron spotted Braska's dark hair in the midst of a duel with one of the older boys, Erik, a seven year old, trying to rescue his favorite girl, Jasmine, a five year old who had bright blue eyes and raven hair that was always in pigtails. Auron strode forward and yelled his name, but Braska was in too deep a concentration to hear him. Auron decided he could wait, and looked for someone to duel to get his mind off of his stomach. Everyone was starting to crowd around Braska and Erik, forming a large circle. Auron counted how many kids there were in all, twenty, not counting the duelists and the girls. Auron knew all of them, and the oldest one there was nine. He was Oliver, and he was the War Strategist who sold his skills to the highest bidder.

The sun was starting to set, setting off pink and orange highlights in the clouds, and swirling the reddish colors in the sky, mixing them with the blue. The grass was a dark, cool green, and it was soft when one walked barefoot upon it. The forests behind the field beyond the village boundaries was becoming dark, and the birds were chirping to each other as they found their place of rest for the night. The smell of food was in the air, and the sounds of pots banging and people talking was drowned out by the cheering and jeering being caused by the children. A cool breeze drifted over the field, rustling Auron's wavy black hair. He stood quietly in the crowd and watched Braska being beat by Erik. Erik liked Jasmine, but so did Braska, so it was quite the skirmish when Jasmine made it known that she wanted to be "saved" when she sat herself upon the large, rounded boulder in the middle of the field. The only one to have ever beaten Erik was Auron, in the match that decided who the Sword-Bearer would be for the ceremony. There was more to the fighting than just children's play. It was a way of training. At the age of ten, the boys would become apprentices to the swordsmen and warriors in the village, and train and learn with them until they were eighteen. The girls, however, were used only for breeding, but some of the girls were allowed to become warriors themselves, but only in special exceptions. The weapons they used were wooden swords, or sticks in some cases. 

Braska had just gotten his feet knocked out from underneath him, and Auron watched as Erik thrust his stick in front of Braska's heaving chest.

"I win, Braska!" Erik's green eyes flashed as he stepped back and ran his hand through his fiery-red hair. He turned to Jasmine, beaming and smiling like an idiot, but she looked rather dissapointed and crossed her arms, sticking her lower lip out, pouting. Erik's smile faded when he saw this, and threw down his sword and stomped away, the crowd clearing a path for the blushing boy. Jasmine also proceeded to turn and walk away, taking some of her friends with her.

"Next time, Braska," Jasmine called over her shoulder in a high-pitched voice. "I want _you_ to win, so train hard!" She blew him a kiss and giggled, then skipping to catch up with her friends. Braska was blushing madly, and he stood up and started taking a very long time to dust himself off in order to hide his hot face.

"Next time, Braska…" Auron jeered as he walked over to his friend. He laughed when he saw Braska's face almost turn purple with embarrassment. The crowd was starting to dissipate, and Auron slapped Braska on the back. "Well, I suppose if you really want me too, I could show you how I beat that big oaf." He said with a confident smirk.

"The only reason you beat Erik is because you cheated!" A high-pitched, accusing voice said behind him. "You're nothing but a big fat cheater!" The voice belonged to Sonja, a golden-haired girl with green eyes. She was also Erik's little sister.

"I don't cheat!" Auron shouted. The crowd of children was drawn back by the shouting.

"Oh yeah?" She looked at him defiantly. "Prove it!"

"I don't have to prove anything, especially not to a stupid baby like you!"

"What's the matter…Afraid of being beat by a stupid baby?" She taunted. "Look everyone! Auron doesn't want to fight me 'cause he's afraid he's gonna lose!" Auron grabbed Braska's sword out of his hand and leapt for her. 

"Shut up!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. He slashed downward, but she had already moved and was circling around behind him. He jumped to the side when he heard her foot hit the ground when she lunged, and he grabbed her free arm as she went past. He twisted her arm behind her back and pushed upwards as hard as he could. The arm snapped, and everyone heard it crack. Auron let go of the arm, a look of total shock on his face. She screamed in pain, and tears started to stream down her face. The entire crowd was silent, and a few of the children went for help. Sonja was trying not to cry, especially not in front of Auron, but it hurt so bad that she sobbed very loudly. "I'm sorry…I…" Auron was speechless. He didn't mean to hurt her that bad, just enough to make her shut up.

Villagers were now running at full tilt towards the group of children, and when they finally reached Sonja, she had forced herself to stop crying.

"What happened?" The young man asked between breaths. One of the children stepped forward. Joskan, the tattle-tale.

"Auron broke Sonja's arm…"

"I…It was an accident…" Auron stammered. "We were fighting, and…and I…"

"It was my fault!" Sonja cried out. "I allowed him to get me pinned and I moved the wrong way." Auron looked at Sonja, amazement and wonder in his gaze. She looked at him for a second, mouthing some words, and then she was led away to see the doctor. If the villagers had found out that rage allowed him to willingly hurt Sonja, he would have been thrown out of the ceremony in disgrace and never allowed back in.

"Auron…" Braska came up behind Auron and put a small hand on his shoulder. "Auron, let's go." Braska led Auron to the bonfire's site. Auron was still wondering why Sonja would take the blame herself when she had a chance to ruin him forever. Her last words before she was led away confused him even more. _I'm sorry._ She'd said. "Auron, are you listening to me?" Auron snapped back to reality and looked at Braska walking beside him. "I want you to teach me how to beat Erik, okay?" Auron nodded. He forced himself to not think about Sonja until after the ceremony. Pride filled him as they came upon the bonfire. It had already been lit and was growing in size. "This is gonna be a night to remember…" Braska said happily.

"It already has." Auron replied stiffly.

Author's note: All right people, there you have it…tell me what you think…R+R…and tell me whether you think I should have a chapter about the party, or just skip ahead to later years. I planned to skip ahead, but if you people wanna know how the ceremony goes, let me know, I'll write a sub chapter. It won't be important to the story, but it should prove interesting.


	2. Dancing Under the Moon

Thanks for the feedback guys…I'm glad. J Also, thanks to the unkanown for helping me out with the whole name situation. This chapter is the party chapter dedicated to all you party animals J warning: it won't really affect the storyline, but it might develop the characters. If you want to just get on with the story, don't read this. Anyway, enjoy!

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Chapter 2: Dancing Under the Moon

The sun had set, and the bonfires were ablaze around the village. Children were laughing and playing with their BlitzBalls, a few showing off their juggling skills in front the biggest bonfire. The harvest had been good so far that year, and the people of the village were enjoying the spoils of their labor at the feast. The Feast of Warriors. Auron looked forward to this night every year, but this year…This year would be the best one yet. The weather was perfect, the stars were shining, and the full moon was a deep yellow ball that hung over the forest, casting shadows that clashed with the ones created by the dancing flames. The atmosphere was grand. 

Auron had finished eating his mom's Macalania Roast and was munching on a pickled sausage when he saw Braska sitting by the bonfire talking with Jasmine. Auron shook his head, and turned to find Elder Jeran, the leader of the village and the man in charge of the Ceremony of Swords. The Ceremony would be starting soon and he needed to get his special garb for the performance. On his way to the Elder's hut, he looked over to the Fortuna's family hut and saw Sonja sitting alone by the fire with her arm wrapped and in a sling. She was staring at the fire, and looked totally oblivious to the events and conversations going on around her. Auron walked quickly away, not wanting a confrontation right before his big moment. Right as he started to look away, she looked up at him. Her green eyes reflected the fire, and made her look so sad and hurt that Auron stopped for an instant. However, Erik saw Auron and tapped his burly father, Gregor, on the shoulder and pointed at him. Auron swiftly ducked into the fortune-telling tent in order to escape whatever they had in store for him.

"What do you want boy?" A raspy, old woman asked him. She looked at him through gray eyes. Her snow white hair framed her face, and her nose was longer than the average. Auron didn't recognize her, and he knew everyone in the village. She had a kindly smile upon her face, and appeared to be nothing more than a gentle old woman. "Auron, is it?" She asked knowingly. "I know your eyes…those are Dolan's eyes." 

"How do you know that name?" Auron took a step back from the old woman in fear. He had only heard that name twice, and both times it was the name people called his father. "And how do you know mine?"

"I know a lot about you, Auron Hybrid." She waved a shaky hand towards a cushioned seat across from her. On the oaken table was an elaborate crystal ball which sat on a mantle bejeweled with rubies and emeralds. Auron moved cautiously towards the seat, never taking his eyes off of the woman. _Braska always said to never take my eyes off of the enemy._ He sat down, and the silk cushion gave way to his light weighted pressure. "Now, I know about your past, but let us see what we can discern about your future, hm?"

"What do you know about my past?" Auron asked energetically. Whenever Auron asked his mother about his father, she became quiet and refused to say anything else until the subject would change.

"Ah, but that is something you must find out for yourself." When she saw him open his mouth to protest protest, she waved her hand in the air. "Now look into the crystal ball and tell me what you see."

"Not until you tell me about my father!" Auron crossed his arms, refusing to give an inch.

"I will tell you after you've looked into the crystal ball. Now look!" She glared at him that made him squirm, so he agreed.

"You promise to tell me?"

"I promise."

"Okay…" He looked into the crystal ball. It swirled black, purple, and white together until the colors were gone. The crystal clouded over, only leaving a small gap in the middle. It was like a small window, and the images were blurry at first, but soon formed a clear vision. There was a young man standing in a scarlet overcoat, talking with another man that looked familiar to Auron somehow.

"What do you see?" The old woman demanded. "Tell me!"

"I see…I see a man holding a sword, arguing with a weird looking lady that's floating. The men he was with earlier are gone now…"

"What men?"

"A man in robes and a man with scars all over his body…She said something, and…"

"What? What happened?"

"He was just killed!" The man in the red coat had attacked the woman and perished after being blown away by a wave of magic that shot out of her hand. "His eye…" The magic was an energy beam that had slashed his eye before it knocked him back. "Wait…he's still breathing…" The man somehow crawled out of the room, inch by inch. Auron tore his gaze away from the ball, unable to watch the dying man crawl to a painful death.

"What did you do that for!?" The woman cried. Drums were heard on the other side of the village.

"Oh, no!" Auron cried. "The Ceremony…" He was going to be late. Refusing to listen to the old hag's demands to make him stay, he ran out of the tent as fast as his little legs could carry him, his adrenaline helping to increase his speed. He reached the Elder's hut just as he was leaving for the Ceremony. "Elder Jeran!" He called out in desperation.

"Auron, my lad!" Jaren was in happy spirits. "Where have you been? I almost gave up on you, son!"

"I'm sorry, sir, I…" Auron panted.

"No need, no need, just take these and change! You'll need to look sharp!" Jaren winked at him and threw him a robe the color of the sunset. It was dark red at the bottom and faded into yellow-gold at the top. Auron grinned madly and ran into the Elder's house, quickly changing into the robe. He looked at himself in the mirror, and thought that his outfit was a little too big on him, but other than that it look okay. He dashed back outside where the Elder's attendant was waiting for him.

"Come, boy, they're waiting for you!" The man grabbed him by the arm and led him to the giant bonfire where everyone was now gathered around. The entire village had come to see the Ceremony. A hush fell over the crowd when they saw Auron standing on the edge of the purple carpet that had been laid out in front of the bonfire, and even the crickets had stopped chirping. Flower petals were strewn about, white, yellow, red, and pink. The colors of the village Westra's banner. The Warrior's flag. Auron's village.

"Come, Sword-Bearer, take your weapon!" Jeran sat atop a high wooden chair, and a small, lightweight sword sword encrusted with sapphires was laid out before it on the ground, wrapped in a silk scarf colored with the Warrior's colors. Auron advanced, his entire body shaking. The fear of failure was creeping in and making his legs feel like wooden poles. He took a deep breath and forced all thoughts from his head, except one, his task at hand. He knelt in front of the sword, and grasped the hilt in one hand, the blade in the other. Standing and holding it over his head, he recited the words he had practiced so many times.

"I pray to you, Warrior Spirit!" He was surprised at how strong and confident his voice sounded. "Guide my sword with your courage, speed, strength, and valor! I implore you!" In a smooth motion, he swept the sword in an upper cut, making the silk scarf fly off. He landed facing away from Jeran and towards the crowd. The silk floated silently down to the ground, cut exactly in half. When it touched, Auron took off, swinging his sword methodically to the music that had erupted, the drums beating wildly, the flutes playing the melody of the warrior. The sword and Auron were one, and he jumped, twirling in the air, landing on one foot to jump backwards. He performed a back flip, and swept his feet around so that he faced Jeran again. The music stopped. He looked Jeran in the eye, and stepped back into a ready stance, bringing the sword up to his eyes, still looking directly at Jeran over the sword. Smooth and silent, Auron leapt into the air, aiming for Jeran. As he raised his sword over his head to strike down upon Jeran as he landed, the entire crowd held its breath, and the air seemed to become still. Jeran didn't move a muscle. Auron cried out as he brought down the death blow, swinging fast and hard. 

Auron stopped just a split second before the blade touched a hair on the man's head. Auron's gaze had never left Jeran's, and neither had blinked. The blade was positioned just above Jeran's head, and Auron balanced himself by standing on the arms of the chair. He back flipped off of the chair and onto the ground, ending his leap with a graceful bow. The crowd roared. Jeran was clapping enthusiastically, and Auron couldn't help but grin. He knelt down and placed the sword in between the two pieces of silk, and stood up.

"Well done, Auron!" Jeran praised. He signaled for the crowd's silence. "Tonight you have witnessed a great warrior in the making! Only a truly honorable and courageous boy could've performed a feat so great, and done it so incredibly well. The sword is yours, Auron, you've earned it!" The crowd cheered again, and Auron took the sword in hand. He looked at it, then to Jeran, his smile bright. In his happiness, he thrust the sword into the air high above his head, creating more jubilation from the crowd. Auron turned around and faced the crowd, scanning for his mother. He found her, and she was smiling with tears in her eyes. _I'm proud of you!_ She mouthed. Auron saw another face that was almost as happy as he was. Sonja. Her green eyes no longer will filled with tears of sadness, but tears of joy. She smiled at him and cheered, waving her hand around in the air. 

This truly was the happiest moment in Auron's life.

Author's note: Tell me what you think! I think I definitely made it more important to the story than I had originally planned, but oh well…I liked it, how about you? R+R please J 


	3. Thin Line

Hey, everyone, I'm sorry it's been taking me a while to get this moving, I've had a lot of other things going on, but I'm doing my best to post new stuff as often as possible. J Anyway, here's chapter 3, enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Thin Line

It had been two years since Auron's spectacular display at the Festival of Warriors, and he was now seven years old. His birthday was in three days, and he was excited to be one year closer to becoming an apprentice. These next two years would be important for his training, or playing, down in the Field if he wanted to learn under a good master, although lately he and Braska had been avoiding the Field and going into the forest to explore. They both had an aptitude for exploration and adventure, and while on one of their trips they found the best place to play, Kyrie Falls. Sometimes they would disappear for hours at a time, without anyone knowing where they were, and they would escape chores and various other things that their parents wanted them to do by hiding there.

It was indeed the perfect place to hide, and one of the most spectacular. The waterfall itself was in a small clearing, and the leafy overhang kept the sun from burning the young boys while they played and practiced on the gigantic old tree trunk that had fallen across the base of the waterfall. The pool of water that the waterfall fed was peaceful and clear, the only ripples being made by the two nearly naked boys swimming and splashing each other. It was the best summer of their lives.

Auron was on his way back home from one of these very ventures. "It's starting to get dark, Braska…" He gestured up towards the pink and golden sky beyond the treetops. "My mom is probably getting worried."

"Aw, come on, Auron!" Braska waved his newly made stick-sword. "One more round! I'll win this time." Auron shook his head. 

"You haven't won all summer…What makes you think you'll start now?" He taunted.

"I just know, okay!" He dropped back into ready position. "I dare you…Or are you too scared?" He stuck out his tongue in such a way that it reminded Auron of Sonja on the day he had broken her arm. He shook himself, and looked at Braska, who by this time was dancing circles around Auron.

"I don't want to, Braska." He crossed his arms over his small chest. "I'm going home." He turned on his heel in a huff and walked quickly away, pretending not to hear Braska calling him 'chicken' behind him. He made his way through the undergrowth, and in a few minutes he was back out on the Field. The grass was longer than usual, except where it had been tramped down by the children playing games. No one was in the Field, and the wind whipped through the grass, making eerie noises that sent chills down Auron's spine. The collection of huts beyond the grass line was quiet, and smoke was trailing out of the chimneys and being swept away by the wind, carrying the smells and scents of the various houses over the field and to Auron's nose. He couldn't wait to get home and eat his mom's food. He ran across the field, and in between the huts to the front door of his house. His mother had said to be home before sunset, and stars were starting to twinkle in the sky. He started to push open the door, but he heard unfamiliar voices and stopped before he even started.

"Drogan, I just don't understand." His mother's voice was muffled by the slightly closed door. Auron pushed it open just a little bit more so he could hear better.

"I don't either, Lyla, but it was what Dolan said before he died..." Came a man's gruff reply. Auron supposed that it was Drogan.

"Dolan…" His mother sounded distant. "Are you sure…That it's still alive?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, we saw it with our own eyes," another voice, higher pitched than Drogan's, piped up. "It was most certainly Grogar's pet Fie…"

"Stephan!" Drogan said suddenly. "Be quiet, you're only upsetting her!" His voice was low and threatening, and Auron could hear his mother quietly sobbing. Auron had had enough. He pushed open the door and ran in front of his mother, his arms folded defiantly across his chest. He puffed himself up to look as big and intimidating as possible. He glared at them, his russet eyes flickering.

"Get out!" He said to them in his childish voice. "Leave my mom alone!" The two men looked at each other from their seats at the table, and the bigger of the two began to laugh.

"I…Whoa…" The man's voice was Drogan's, and the thinner, taller man doubled over with laughter. "You…look like…your old man…kid…" He said between his guffaws. He slapped his knee and put a hand on his aching side.

"I thought that it WAS him!" Stepan choked. Auron was indignant, and refused to let them ridicule him.

"I said leave!" He pointed to the door. The two men slowly brought their laughing to a halt.

"Auron, honey, it's okay…" Lyla seemed to have recovered from her shock at seeing her son burst in the door. "These men are friends."

"More than friends, my boy, family!" Drogan pounded a fist into his enormous chest. "Your dad and I were brothers. I'm the uncle no one likes to talk about." His wolfish grin seemed as fierce as it was friendly.

"Yes, and besides, you can't kick us out," Stephan said matter-of-factly. "We have nowhere else to go, and your mom has offered us food and shelter for as long as we need it."

"Not to mention that we're only here for your well-being, young Auron." Drogan winked at the boy. Auron had not moved from his position between the two men and his mother. Seeing this, Drogan knew that Auron was just like his father. Stubborn. "Well, uh…How 'bout some of that delicious smelling food you got cookin' in the kitchen?" Lyla nodded and left the room. Auron reluctantly took a seat at the table, (only because his mother told him that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to practice for a week), and stared vehemently at the men. "You're so much like your pop, I can tell. But it looks like you got your mom's good looks and your daddy's eyes." Auron was relieved when his mother brought the food to the table, setting down a pot of stew in the middle of the table and passing out the bowls. She dished out the spicy-smelling soup with a gigantic wooden ladle, and then sat down after everyone had some in their bowls. Drogan and Stephan started eating like there was no tomorrow, but Auron ate his slowly, mimicking his mother's good habits. Not much was said between them, mostly because the men had food in their mouths at all times, and when they finished, Auron was sent to bed so they could talk. Lyla apologized but promised to explain it all later, and patted his behind as he sulked off to bed.

For the next two days, Auron only saw his uncle and Stephan three times, all at the table while they ate. Finally, Auron stopped going to meals and broke curfew both nights to show his depreciation of the whole affair. He ran from his house into the woods to meet Braska. Today they were going to swim and hunt for small animals. Braska had made some traps that he wanted to try, and Auron wanted to practice his stealth skills.

A pair of emerald eyes watched Auron run through the Field past the other children who were starting to show up for the morning's rounds. Sonja was perched on her favorite rock away from all the commotion of the newest fight, and gripped her small sword in hand. It was a real sword, more like a large knife, that her father had made especially for her the year before. She glanced over at the crowd of kids to see if they had noticed Auron disappearing into the trees, and realizing none of them had noticed, she decided to follow. She jumped down and ran swiftly after Auron, following the sounds he was trying not to make as he went down the almost invisible trail. She almost fell over when she stopped too suddenly to stay behind the bushes. She peered out and saw Auron and Braska taking their clothing off, leaving only their breeches, and then proceeding to jump into the clear water from the moss-covered log over the waterfall's base. She stood up and walked out into the clearing, making her presence known by throwing pebbles at the boys, hitting one and narrowly missing the other.

"OW!" Braska cried out as he rubbed his shoulder. A bruise was already forming. He looked up and saw Sonja. "Auron…" He pointed. Auron turned himself around. 

"What're YOU doing here?" He demanded. "This is our secret place. Girls aren't allowed."

"Well," she began haughtily. "Unless you want the whole village to know about this place, I think you should make an exception." She laughed a little to herself. "You weren't even careful about being followed. If I had been Erik, you guys would've been told on for sure."

"What do you mean I wasn't careful?" Auron said indignantly.

"You didn't even check to see if anyone was following you, and a two-year-old could've tracked you what with all the noise you were making."

"Just go away." Auron turned his back to her and started to swim away.

"Fine! I guess you won't mind it if I bring a bunch of my friends here, huh?" She turned around on her heel and made for the edge of the clearing.

"Wait!" Braska finally spoke up. "You can stay…" Braska faltered at Auron's warning glance. "…If you can beat Auron! Deal?" She stopped and turned around slowly.

"Deal, but only if we use sticks, not swords." She walked confidently towards the bank of the pool, and stood there waiting. "Well, are we gonna fight or not?"

"All right…All right…" Auron climbed out of the pool, opposite the bank where Sonja was standing, glaring at Braska the entire time. He grabbed Braska's wooden sword and walked up to the log. "Are you coming?" Sonja walked briskly up to the opposite end of the log. "The rules are: if you get knocked off, you lose, if your sword is knocked away, you lose, and all the other rules apply that're used out in the Field. Got it?"

"Yup." Sonja dropped into ready position, and drew her wooden sword, having place her real one back down on a rock on the bank. Auron also brought himself into a fighting stance, and he thrust his sword in front of him. "Hey, Braska!" Sonja yelled as the boy was climbing onto a rock to watch the fight. "Tell us when to start, k?" Auron stared at her endlessly, and she stared right back. They never took their eyes off of each other.

"Begin!" Braska yelled. They rushed at each other, but Sonja slipped on the wet moss and lost her footing. Auron saw this and rushed her, attempting to knock her off for an easy victory. She moved out of the way just in time and swung her sword around to hit him, but he nimbly dodged the blow as he rolled on the ground and quickly stood up. They looked at each other for an instant, and then they locked their swords together, each attempting to shove the other off of the trunk.

"Come on, you can do better than that, Auron." Sonja taunted. He growled in response and threw all of his weight into her. She let him push her down and used his momentum to flip him, kicking his stomach and pushing him off, sending him hurtling towards the water's surface below. He belly-flopped, and his huge splash caused tidal waves on the banks of the spring. Sonja stood up and went over to the edge, looking down to see if he was all right. Sure enough, the boy came to the surface and slowly paddled his way over to the bank. "I win, Auron!" She shouted down to him triumphantly. "Looks like I'll being staying for a while!" Auron growled and walked over to Braska.

"This is your fault." He sputtered angrily. "It was your idea."

"You just don't like to be beat, Auron." Braska said simply. "Get over it!" The girl laughed and dove in from the log, clothes and all. "At least she won't tell anyone about this place."

"Yeah, okay…" Auron conceded.

Somewhere in the depths of the forest, a man and a giant Fiend had set up camp. "Don't worry, Grogar, soon we will have our revenge." The man's deep voice said comfortingly to the beast that slept by the fire. "Very soon…Your son is walking on that thin line, Dolan…"

Author's note: Well, you know the drill…R+R please! J I hope you liked it, and it's keeping you entertained. I know Sonja sounds a little like Rikku, but trust me, that comes into play later in the story. J I'll post the next chapter ASAP!


	4. First Blood

Author's note: Thanx for the feedback, guys, you're awesome! Anyways, sorry this one has taken me awhile to post, but here it is! Chapter four baby! Oh, and by the way, feel free to correct me on anything that I may get wrong, and if you have any ideas, (and I mean not idiotic ones), feel free to make suggestions on anything that I've written or I've yet to write. Thanks once again!

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Chapter 4: First Blood

Auron's birthday had come and gone, and two years went by with nothing out of the ordinary occurring in Auron's young life. It was almost time for him to become the apprentice of one of the masters. Auron wanted learn under a master that traveled a lot. He had never set foot outside of Westra, except of course when he visited the Cove in the forest, as he and Braska had so named it. Sonja was now becoming even more of a pest than she had ever been before. She was also becoming more pushy, bossy, and her cooties were even more infectious than they'd ever been. Auron despised her, pure and simple. She was the only one to have ever beaten him in a duel, and it was only due to the fact that he'd lost his footing. (At least he liked to think so). To make matters worse, she was a girl. One minute she acted so nice to Auron, and the next she'd push him into the water and proceed to dunk him until he was about to pass out from the lack of oxygen.

"We have to get away from her, at least for today, Braska." The look in Auron's eyes was desperation.

"But how? She follows us wherever we go!" Braska waved his arms about emphatically. They were taller now, and didn't look as scrawny as they had when they were younger. They hadn't quite started to even come close to filling out yet, but they were getting there.

"Well, yesterday after she'd left, I went and did some exploring." Auron looked around to make sure that Sonja wasn't around.

"Without me?" Braska asked with indignity. "I can't believe you went without me!" He turned around and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting.

"I had to, Braska!" Auron grabbed Braska's shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry…" Braska shook away Auron's hand with a violent shrug. Auron lost his temper. "If you don't want to know about this cool place I found, then fine!" He got up and started to stomp away, but Braska yelled at him.

"I'll betcha I know where it is!" Auron spun around. "It's the clearing in the middle of the forest, huh?" Braska nodded at Auron's bewilderment. "I knew it! I found that place forever ago." He smirked.

"Then how come you never told me?" Auron challenged. "You followed me, didn't you?" Braska had been found out.

"Well, I…uhhh…" He stammered.

"Look, I don't care that you know, all right, I was going to tell you anyway. The important thing is that we get away from HER." Braska nodded affirmative. 

"Sounds good, but we'll need a distraction."

"Don't worry about that," Auron said with an evil grin. "I've got a plan."

Sonja brushed her blonde hair out of her face as she wandered through Westra looking for a certain pair of boys. Her green eyes scanned the Field as she walked by it, hoping to spot Auron's jet black hair in amongst all the reds and blondes. He and Braska were the only to boys that had black hair, and they were the only boys who kept their hair short.. There were a few girls, but their hair was long and it was easy to tell who they were because of the way they wore it. She turned dejectedly away when she only spotted her younger brother fighting with another red-headed boy. _Where could they be?_ She thought sadly. She knew that they didn't like her, but they were the only ones who would play with her. The girls wouldn't play with her because she was too much like a boy, and the boys wouldn't play with her because she was too much like a girl. She was the typical tomboy. Sonja only had brothers, two older ones, Jeremi and Erik, and a younger brother, Wesley. She had always wanted a sister, but she got the shorter end of the stick.

Sonja was startled out of her reverie when she looked up to see Braska running straight for her.

"Ha, I gotcha!" Braska almost ran Sonja over as he tagged her on the shoulder. He kept running by her. "You're it!" He laughed back at her as he disappeared around the corner of the house. Sonja smiled and took off after him, knowing where he would probably be headed. This was their favorite game. A cross between hide-and-seek and tag. If the "it" person found someone, the tagged person would then become it and have to chase down whoever wasn't it.

Sonja rounded the corner and saw both Auron and Braska running across the field, heading straight for the forest. She ran swiftly across the field, causing some of the children to gaze at her in bewilderment. Sonja also saw Jasmine glare at her as she ran by her sitting on her usual boulder. Sonja just flashed a smile at her and ran after the boys. She made it to the Cove in no time, but the boys were nowhere to be found. The waterfall made it hard for her to hear where they might've been, so she had to rely on her sight. She looked carefully and noticed that there were two pairs of footprints leading deeper into the forest. She ran across the log, her anticipation making her lose her balance and almost fall into the water. She made it across and ran into the thicket, expecting to pounce on them in triumph. Once again, her plan was foiled, minus the footprints they'd left in the sandy earth at her feet. She followed them deeper into the dark woods.

"That was great!" Braska said, his cheeks flushed and his breath short. "She'll never be able to find us now!" He started to run ahead, but Auron caught his arm.

"Be quiet! She might find us if we're too loud!" Auron hissed. "And besides, you might mess up the trail we made for her to follow." Braska gulped and nodded, and they silently followed the almost invisible path that led to the new clearing.

"Braska, Auron!" Sonja was starting to get desperate. She'd lost the trail awhile back and was now on the brink of sobbing. "Where are you?" She cried into the silent trees and bushes. They didn't respond. Sonja didn't know where she was. She'd never been farther away from the village than the Cove, and even then, that was within running distance. She had been wandering for almost an hour and a half, and it was beginning to get darker. She wasn't sure if it was getting late or if the forest was becoming more dense the farther she was into it. Sonja hated the dark, and to make matters worse she had become quite cold. "Auron!" She sobbed. "Where are you?!" 

This time, the trees did respond. The branches on several of the trees were shaking violently, and bushes were uprooted. Sonja screamed and tripped over a tree root as she stepped backwards. Just as suddenly as they had started shaking, the trees stopped. Her eyes were wide with terror as she looked up to see huge wolf staring down at her. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. From beyond the wolf came a deep, threatening chuckle.

"Hello." The tall figure wearing a scarlet coat came out from behind the wolf and looked at Sonja with smile. "Are you lost?" He walked over to her and knelt down in front of her, doing his best to act like a decent person. Sonja felt that this man was not to be trusted.

"No!" She shook her head quickly. "I'm just…looking for someone." Her voice squeaked involuntarily. She looked around wildly, hoping to see a quick exit.

"Now, now, it's not polite to lie." The tall man scolded, his smile fading into something else. "Grogar, I think she's lying to us." Sonja shrank back in fear and whimpered, a single tear of fright falling to into the cold dirt.

"Ha!" Auron knocked away Braska's sword, and was now aiming his for Braska's throat. "I win again! Told you so, Braska!" Auron said haughtily. He stuck his sword in the ground and looked down his upturned nose at Braska. "I suppose no one can beat me…" He sniffed with an annoying air of confidence.

"Well, actually…" Braska trailed off. He knew he didn't need to finish what he was saying to get his point across.

"I tripped, okay?!" Auron had suddenly lost his smug attitude and was indignant. "And besides, I was gonna let her win anyway…I felt sorry for her!"

"Yeah, okay…" Braska rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we should probably head back…" He gestured to the pink sky. "Getting late." Auron sighed and nodded. They both grabbed their weapons and headed back to the village.

"What do you mean, she never came home?!" Braska was frantic. "But…But…"

"I mean that her parents have no clue where she is! Everyone thought that she was with you, but then you and Auron say you both don't know where she is." It was really late by the time the boys had gotten home. Auron and Braska had both gone to their homes, Braska was the first to find out that Sonja had yet to return. Sonja's parents were panicked. Jeran called an emergency village council meeting, and Braska and Auron were ordered to attend. They held the meeting in the giant Town Hall, and everyone in Westra, even the younger children, was there. The crowded hall was almost too much for Auron; he had an acute case of claustrophobia, though he hadn't told anyone of this because it was seen as a weakness. He sat near the head of the table along with Braska, where all of the council members were also seated.

"Auron!" Sonja's father, Gregor, advanced on him. "What did you do to my daughter this time?" His scowl was menacing, and Auron cowered in fear.

"Well, uhh…" The entire village's attention was now focused on Auron's words. "We were…Braska, Sonja, and me…Were playing a game of tag…"

"Gregor!" Jeran slammed his goblet down on the table. "This isn't helping! We are going to form a search party which I will lead. The boys will be coming with me, and those who will be accompanying us will be…" He scanned the crowd. "Masters Drogan and Stephan, Gregor, and Master Archer Tulio. The rest of you keep an eye out for little Sonja." Jeran pulled his blade from its scabbard. "Let's go!" The search party filed out of the room, and the villagers went about the village, looking in all the favorite children's hiding spots they could think of.

"Jeran…" Auron tugged on the older man's faded blue sleeve as they entered the forest. "Master Jeran, it's my fault she's gone…" Jeran stopped and turned around and looked at him quizzically. The rest of the group headed towards the Cove.

"What in the Gods name do you mean?"

"Well, it was my idea to trick her, see…" Auron swallowed hard. "We wanted her to leave us alone, so we played a trick on her…"

"Auron!" Jeran was shocked.

"I didn't mean for her to get lost…Honest!" Auron looked as though he might cry. "I just didn't think she keep trying to find us after the trail stopped…" He was cut off by Jeran.

"Auron, you can't let that bother you." Jeran scolded him gently. "You have to focus on saving her now." Auron nodded, and sniffed. "She needs you now, Auron, and you're the only one who can save her." Auron looked up at Jeran, and nodded again, this time with more certainty. They caught up to the rest of the group in no time, and Braska was already pointing out the trail they had made to confuse her.

"No wonder she got lost…" Tulio was saying as Jeran and Auron approached. Tulio gazed at Auron knowingly, but said nothing. Drogan was being unusually quiet, as was the ever-talking Stephan. They made their way into the forest, following Sonja's trail. It went round and round in circles, as though she had been wandering aimlessly. "Look!" Tulio hissed. They silently crept up behind the bush that Tulio stood behind. Beyond was a small clearing with what looked like the remains of a campfire. "It's still smoking…" Tulio said. "It's no less than a few minutes old."

"Sonja!" Gregor cried out.

"Shhhh!" Jeran clamped his hand over Gregor's mouth instantly. "Do you want to get us all killed, man? Who knows what's in this forest!" Gregor looked totally depressed, but nevertheless, he hefted his ax, shaking his look of sorrow and replacing it with bravery. Auron had to admire his courage.

"There!" Braska pointed out movement in the trees. It was a large black form, moving slowly towards them. Two moon-yellow eyes appeared. The men gasped in fear, and the boys hid behind the men, peeking out at the terrible sight. It's mouth was huge, and full of sharp, glistening teeth displayed in a snarl. Saliva dripped from the huge snout, and it's claws looked lethal. The giant wolf had smelled the men, and had come looking for dinner.

"Grogar!" Drogan and Stephan stepped back, brandishing their weapons. Auron had heard the name spoken before, and he knew that their situation had not improved in the slightest. A purely evil laugh broke the menagerie, startling the already petrified warriors.

"HA HA HA HA!" The man in the red coat came out of the shadows, holding a limp Sonja in his arms.

"Sonja!" Gregor cried out, advancing on the man. Grogar snapped at him, and he instantly retreated. Auron was simmering, about ready to burst. He couldn't stand it anymore.

"LET HER GO!" He cried out. Everyone, even the giant wolf, looked at Auron in surprise. He took out his sword he had won all those years ago and held it at ready.

"What's this?" The man scoffed. "The son of Dolan challenging me? HA! How ironic! I guess it's fate that I should be the one to destroy the Hybrid line." Auron was taken aback.

"Why, you…" Auron said through gritted teeth. He took another step forward. "I'll kill you for this!" The man only laughed.

"You'll have to get through my pet, Grogar, first, boy!" He turned and walked away, back into the shadows where he had come from.

"Come back here!" Grogar stopped him by biting at Auron's arm. He was barely able to dodge it, and was nicked before he rolled back to where the other men stood. The first blood had been drawn.

"Come on!" Jeran shouted. "Let's kill the beast!" They charged into battle.

Author's note: Sorry, but I couldn't write anymore…I have to break it here…sorry about the cliffhanger, but don't worry, I'll remedy it soon with another chapter…so long! J 


	5. Heroics

Author's Note: I'm extremely sorry that I've not been able to write sooner, but I've a very busy past couple of weeks. This one's gonna be exciting, and I hope that you enjoy! 

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Chapter 5: Heroics

"Braska!" Auron cried out in horror when he saw his friend thrown from the fray smack dab into a large tree trunk. He fell to the forest floor, limp like a rag doll. Auron slashed at the giant wolf Fiend before running to Braska's side. He winced as he ran, grabbing his left arm which was bleeding profusely from a deep gash. _Ignore it Auron, your friend needs you._ He told himself. His gaze became hazy as he reached Braska, and Auron felt that he would fall right there beside him. He looked back at the battle that continued to rage. Grogar had the advantage, even though Drogan and Stephan had apparently fought with him before, due to his size and speed. Gregor, being as slow as he was, had been knocked out long ago, and was now lying in a heap a safe distance from the fight. Jeran was casting healing spells on the group, trying to keep away from the fangs of the wolf.

"Auron…" Braska groaned as he blindly groped for Auron's dark green collar. "Go help Sonja…" He coughed, but Auron knew he would be alright. He had a large lump forming on his fore head, so Auron gave him a potion he withdrew from his belt. "Hurry, I'll be fine!" Braska pushed him weakly, urging him to follow the man who'd taken Sonja. "GO!" Auron took off, ran past the brawl and into the depths of the forest, looking for some sort of trail to follow. He heard Drogan yell in pain, and he stopped, undecided on what to do. He knew that if the man got away, he would never see Sonja again, but if he left the others behind to fight Grogar alone…In the distance he heard a scream, but it came from within the trees, and not from behind him. _Sonja!_

"Sonja!" Auron murmured to himself. His mind made up, he headed in the direction that the wail had come from.

Braska sat up and leaned against the tree, his vision blurred in pain. His head felt light, but he knew he had to do something. He would prove to himself that he wasn't worthless, that he was a good fighter. Auron may've been better than him at everything, but this time, he would prove that _he_ was the best. He slowly got up, leaning heavily on the tree to raise himself, and the dizziness threatened to overwhelm him. He picked up a small sword that had been lying next to him, and he limped over towards the site of battle. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as he approached. Jeran had knocked out. He saw Stephan being struck down by swipe of a giant paw, which left Drogan and Tulio to fight the beasts on their own. Tulio shot his arrows with amazing accuracy, and hit the beast in the right eye. It threw its head back, howling in pain. Drogan saw his chance and leapt for its throat, but he was knocked away by the wolf's muzzle as it shook its head about, trying to shake the arrow out of his eye. Braska started to run at the animal, and it still was preoccupied with the arrow so it hadn't seen him coming. Drogan had pulled himself to his feet and was about to strike, but Braska beat him there. The boy leapt at the Fiend's throat. Drogan stared open-mouthed at the spectacle. Braska plunged his sword deep into the wolf's jugular, and was thrown off as the wolf snapped at him and snagged his blood-stained shirt. He hit the ground hard, and didn't move.

"You're persistent, but you're also stupid." The scarlet coat waved behind the man as he stood by the cliff's edge. Auron had followed the man all the way to the other side of the forest, and now had him cornered at a steep cliff that led into the ocean. The sound of the crashing waves exploded below, drowning out Sonja's screams for help. The man laughed. "Just like you're father…you even look like him." The sun was starting to rise behind them, and the sky had a yellow glow. The wind whipped Auron's raven hair about wildly, and his Russet eyes gleamed with hatred.

"You have no right to talk about my father, you filthy, no good…" Auron yelled, advancing on the tall man. "Put her down, NOW!" He brandished his bejeweled sword and it flashed in the morning sunlight, meaning that he meant business.

"You even look like your father…" The man cocked his head at him curiously. "Except, your eyes are your mother's…" Auron growled in frustration, and gritted his teeth. His arm throbbed with pain, but he refused to acknowledge it, refused to show any sign of weakness. He wasn't sure what to do, but he knew that he wanted to kill this man. That was all he knew. He didn't even know this man's name, and he wanted to kill him…

"Who are you?!" Auron took another step forward, and the man took a step backwards. "Tell me!"

"Reemes." The man said simply. "If you want me, come and get me." He threw Sonja over the side of the cliff, down to the thrashing waves below.

"NOO!" Auron leapt to the edge, and saw that Sonja had managed grab a hold of a tree root that had grown out of the cliff. "Sonja!"

"Auron look out!" Sonja screamed as the Reemes brought a broad sword down upon Auron. Auron threw himself out of the way just in time, and rolled to his feet, his sword in hand.

"Come on, boy! Do you think you can beat me?!" He lunged for Auron, thrusting his sword at him. Auron was faster, and quickly stepped to the side of the blow and struck Reemes' arm. His arm flared in pain, but he didn't relent. He stabbed the man in his back, and shoved it in deep to pierce his heart. Reemes cried out, blood dripping from his mouth. He fell to his knees, gasping for air, only to swallow blood. Auron pulled his sword from Reemes' body, and ran from the wailing man back to Sonja.

"Sonja, hold on!" He stuck his sword deep into the ground and hooked his ankles around the hilt. He lowered himself down to Sonja, and grabbed her arms. "Grab hold!" He yelled over the crashing waves. She obeyed, and whimpered slightly when she finally let go of the tree root.

"Auron…" She sobbed, slightly. "Please…"

"Just hold on, I'll get you up!" He pulled, using every muscle in his body. He yanked her up, and threw her to safety at the top. Then he pulled himself up with his legs made it to the edge. He flopped down on his back when he reached the top, exhausted and out of breath.

"Auron!" Sonja yelled, tackling him in a hug. Her tears were flowing freely, splashing onto Auron's shirt. Auron was a little taken aback; he'd never seen her cry before, except when he'd broken her arm. He sat up, and she still was hugging him, making it hard to breathe.

"Are you okay?" He was worried that he might've hurt her again. She muffled a 'yes' against his shoulder, and he put his good arm around her. "Hey, then why are you crying?" She started crying even harder at this. "Come on, Sonja, I mean…" He stopped when he looked over to where Reemes' had been. He wasn't there anymore. "Sonja…" The alarm in his voice made Sonja suddenly quiet her sobs, and she followed his gaze.

"Did you think that it would be that easy?" Reemes had gotten to his feet and was standing in a hunched position, leaning heavily on his broad sword. "It's hard to kill something that's already dead…" He spit blood onto the ground at his feet. Reemes limped towards the petrified children, a menacing look on his face. "You can't get away, Hybrid. You're mine!" He loomed over them and raised sword to attack. He grinned evilly, and started to swing the sword, but stopped midway. The look on his face was one of surprise and horror. He turned around, and Auron saw the ax that had been lodged right between his shoulder blades. "You…" Gregor, Sonja's father, stood at the edge of the treeline, a look of triumph upon his face. An arrow zipped through the air and struck Reemes between the eyes. Drogan and Stephan charged at him, Stephan hacked at Reemes' legs, while Drogan went for his head. 

"Die, you bastard!" Drogan cried out as he cut off the head of the monster. Reemes' body slumped over, headless and legless, while the head went flying over the cliff and into the waves, lost forever in their depths. Electricity heated the air, making it snap, and raised the hairs on Auron's arm. A dark spirit flew from the body of Reemes into the sky. Sonja clung to Auron's shirt, and started sobbing again, hiding her face. He winced when he tried to balance himself with his left arm. "Aww, now isn't that cute?" Drogan said after he had kicked the rest of what was left of Reemes' over the cliff. 

"Sonja!" Gregor ran over to his daughter and scooped her into his arms and out of Auron's. "Are you okay, Sonja?"

"Where's Braska?" Auron asked, worried that he hadn't seen his friend yet.

"He was taken back to Westra when your mother came looking for us." Stephan explained. "It's a good thing she showed up when she did, bringing all of those villagers with her, 'cause Tulio was the only one left fighting that beast."

"Jeran took your mother and Braska back to village," Drogan said gruffly. "He had to force her to go back with him, she wanted to find you so bad, especially after she found out what we were fighting." Drogan helped Auron to his feet, and ruffled his raven hair. "You fought well, kid, I'm proud of ya." He smiled at him, and then turned back to talk with Stephan. Auron noticed that he was now wearing the scarlet coat that Reemes had been wearing.

"Auron…" Gregor had put Sonja down, and was now rubbing the back of his neck. "You fought bravely." That was all he said. He took hold of Sonja's hand and led her back to the treeline, waiting for the rest of the group.

"Drogan…why…?" Auron pointed towards the coat, and looked puzzled.

"It was your dad's, so I've decided to take it back from that filthy bastard Reemes." Drogan smoothed down a wrinkle. "Looks good when it's worn by the right person." He smiled wolfishly and started to walk towards the forest. "Come on, your mother's worried about you." Auron started to follow, but he stopped and watched the sun rising above the horizon, lighting his face. _Dad, if you can hear me… I hope I made you proud…_ A voice pervaded his thoughts.

__

You always make me proud, Auron… Just keep on the path you're on, and someday you'll be the warrior you wish to be. Remember, tomorrow's always a new day, and life it what we make it…Make yours the best it can be…

The voice faded, and Auron smiled. He grabbed his sword that was still stuck in the ground, and wiped it clean of blood on the grass waving in the wind. He then stuck it in the ground, and the sunlight made it flash a brilliant many colors._ This one's for you, father._ He turned away, leaving the sword on the edge of the cliff to forever look to the horizon, and to the new day.

Author's note: Well, I hoped you liked it…don't worry, that wasn't the last chapter, that was just the end of part one. Anyway, you know the drill…R&R! love you guys!


	6. Part 2: The Trying Years

Author's note: Hey guys! Sorry that last time I took so dang long to get that last chapter up, but I'll make it up to ya by trying to get the stories out quicker…sound good? I'll do my best to keep this promise…anyhoo, we're on to the adolescent years of Auron's life….there's gonna be some drastic changes made here!

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Part Two: The Trying Years

Chapter 6: Life's Lessons

The girls giggled when thirteen-year-old Auron walked past, looking at him and batting their eyes at him. One of them even blew him a kiss, which made his face turn bright red even though he pretended not to notice. He was walking through the Field to his next lesson with his Uncle Drogan, his Master who was teaching him the finer points of being a warrior and swordsmanship. Auron enjoyed having Drogan as his master, mostly because he saw what Braska was having to put up with. Braska's Master was someone who was new to the village of Westra, a man preaching about something called Yevon. No one in the village had ever been exposed to these teachings, and it was quite a shock to all of them when the man had summoned a giant flaming monster. Auron had never been outside of his village, except when Reemes had kidnapped Sonja, and even then it was just the other side of the forest. That had been the only time that Auron had ever seen the sea, and he yearned to leave this backwater town to find other places. 

"No, no, no, NO!" He stopped when he heard high-pitched voice yelling in the Field, which had been emptied for the Summoner's training of his new apprentice. Braska. "You must focus on the prayer! You're letting your mind wander!" The man was shouting in Braska's face, spittle flying out of his mouth and landing on Braska's nose.

"What do you want me to do?" Braska was red in the face from exertion and frustration. "I've done this stupid prayer so many times…"

"Don't you DARE call Yevon's prayers STUPID!" The taller man somehow managed to thrust his face even closer to Braska's, his eyes filled with a wild, fanatical look. The vein in his balding head looked as though it was about to pop. He took a step back and took some deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. "I'm sorry, boy, I sometimes forget that you were not raised praising Yevon's name. Don't worry, that's why I'm here, to teach you Yevon's way." His dark, beady eyes narrowed on Braska's gangly form. "Now, let's try that prayer again." Braska sighed, and performed the motion again, trying to be graceful. Auron laughed to himself and felt a slight twinge of sympathy towards his best friend. 

__

If I had to put up with that, I wouldn't have stuck with it as long as Braska. Auron shook his head in bewilderment and continued down the path, headed for Drogan's newly constructed hut.

"Auron!" A girl's loud voice came from behind him. "Auron! Wait up!" Auron sighed resignedly. _Sonja._ The only drawback for Auron was that he had to train with Sonja, his only match in the entire village. He hadn't won a match against her in a long time, and Auron was tired of losing. Sonja reached him at a slight jog, her blonde hair pulled up in a pony-tail, her green eyes bright from the exercise. "Ready for today?" She was bubbling with energy, as always.

  
"Yeah, sure, I guess…" Auron said gloomily. He saw her smile out of the corner of his eye as he turned to continue on up the trail. "Are you?"

"Yup, can't wait!" She quipped. "You know, Auron, I'm sorry that I hit you so hard the other day…I really didn't mean to…"

"Don't apologize." Auron bristled.

"But, Auron…I really…"

"I said, don't apologize!" Auron's voice rose slightly. He instantly became quiet again; he knew that what had happened was his fault, but he blamed her anyway. Teenage insecurities ran high in this young man. He was the best fighter in the village, but he could be beaten by a _girl._ He clenched his fist, trying to hide his anger that was just bubbling below the surface.

"Auron?" Her voice was timid, almost a whisper. He turned on her so fast that she almost fell backwards.

"Look, I don't need your sympathy, okay?" His tone was harsh, and he was at his breaking point. "You beat me, fair and square, for the tenth time in a row! Do you have to keep reminding me with your stupid apologies?! Admit it, the only reason you DO even consider apologizing is because you love to rub it in my face!" Sonja's face was riddled with shock. Her mouth was slightly open in protest, but no sound came out, and tears began to well up in her emerald eyes. Her slender form started to tremble, but not from crying. Rage was beginning to fill her, and her jaw was clenched.

"You think THAT'S why I'm apologizing?" Her voice was high-pitched with anger. "I'm not apologizing because I beat you, I'm apologizing because I hurt you! I'm sorry that I care, but I probably shouldn't say that because that means that I'm going after your stupid inflated ego again!" Sonja shoved past him, throwing him off-balance, and stormed up the walkway. "Well, from now on, I won't apologize!" She called over her shoulder. "I'll just stop caring whether or not I hurt you. How does that sound!" She ran the rest of the way to Drogan's house, which left a stunned Auron still standing on the path. 

__

Great. Auron knew that today would not be easy, all because he couldn't control his temper. _All she was doing was apologizing, you idiot!_ He admonished himself. _Stop behaving like a child!_ He walked somberly to the cabin, which was a little ways into the woods, where the Cove used to be. Drogan had loved the spot so much that he had decided to build his new home there, while Stephan had decided to open up a weapon shop in town.

When Auron had finally made his way to the cabin, he saw that Sonja was already waiting for him on her side of the log that had fallen across a small ravine in front of the giant waterfall. Drogan stood on her side with his arms folded over his chest, a disapproving glare directed towards Auron as he approached his side. Obviously he had gotten some idea of what had happened, (it had happened a few times before), and judging from Sonja's steely look, Auron was in for a bad day of training.

"Braska!" The balding man groaned. "That's not right…How many times have we gone over this?" Braska moaned his own protest.

"But how am I supposed to know that the Al Bhed are bad when I've never seen them before in my entire life?" Braska questioned. "You can't say someone's bad without ever knowing them!" Braska folded his arms over his chest defiantly. "Have YOU ever actually gotten to know an Al Bhed?" He asked pointedly.

"Well…This is ridiculous!" The Summoner turned around and threw his hands up into the air with frustration. "A mere child telling ME what to think…HA!" A grim smile had formed on his small face, and he wrinkled his large nose with his laughter.

"Master Simon, that…"

"Just be quiet!" His expression immediately changed from one of amusement to that of pure anger, and by that time his neck had become red while his face was turning purple. This was the worst that Braska had ever seen Simon become. "Yevon is the all-powerful, the all-seeing, and you'll realized that someday, if not today!" His menacing glare was enough to make Braska cringe. "You'll know soon enough!" With that, he turned and walked away in a hurry, his colorful Summoner robes swishing behind him. 

"Whew!" Braska hadn't realized that he'd been holding his breath, and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. "What's wrong with him?" He asked no one in particular. The warm summer breeze whisked through the field, making the long grass wave and ruffled Braska's dark hair. _Yevon, Summoners, prayers, teachings…are all these things so important? If they are, then why did I not learn them before?_ Braska shook his head. _They _must_ be important and powerful, if a weakling like Simon can summon up such frightening creature. I wonder…can I do that?_ Braska looked down at his rough, callused hands, and the wind picked up again, whipping his hair about his head. 

"Graagh!" Auron fell to his knees, gripping his abdomen after Sonja dealt him a punishing blow. She hit him again, this time in the ribs, knocking the wind from his lungs. He gasped, trying to breathe and get to his feet, but he just stumbled and fell back to where he'd started. "I give up!" Auron cried out as Sonja prepared to attack him again. She stopped mid-swing, and the look of disappointment on her face told him she'd wanted more. She threw down her wooden bo that they were currently training with and stomped back to her side of the log, casting him a wicked glance on her way there.

"That's enough for today, Sonja." Drogan had walked up the bank and was now helping Auron to his feet.

"But…I wasn't even warmed up yet…" She protested. Auron grimaced as he grabbed at his ribs, and his russet eyes were dilated from pain. Sonja almost looked as though she was sympathizing, but she decided against it. "Fine. If he can't handle it, then I can wait until tomorrow." She walked towards them and retrieved her bo, and then stormed past them in a huff, walking briskly back to the village.

"By the Gods, Auron, what the hell did you do to her?" Drogan grunted as he hefted Auron up by pulling his arm.

"I told her to stop apologizing to me for hurting me, and she took it the wrong way." Auron said, not looking his uncle in the eye.

"Mm hm, I see, well, if that's the case, I think from now on you should just hold your tongue and accept her apologies like a man, eh?" Drogan said knowingly. "Anyway, don't worry about training tomorrow, Stephan and I are going hunting, and it would probably be a good idea for you to rest those bruised ribs." He nudged Auron's ribcage, making him stumble backwards. Drogan chuckled slightly, and then went back to his cottage. "See you the day after tomorrow!" He went inside.

Auron slowly made his way down the path back towards the village, and was caught off guard by Braska who was waiting for him in the Field, sitting by the entrance to the forest on the side of the walkway. He looked up as he heard Auron's footsteps.

"I saw Sonja…" Braska started, but decided against it. "Anyway, Simon let me off the hook for awhile, do you want to get something to eat?" Auron's stomach rumbled when it heard the word 'food.'

"Yeah, sure." He rubbed the back of his neck, and he looked towards the village. "Braska…I want to leave here…I want to see this Spira that Simon keeps talking about." Braska didn't look in the least surprised.

"I know what you mean, Auron," Braska told him. "Don't worry, I have a plan." Auron nodded, and they walked together towards the village.

"So what did Simon talk about today?" Auron inquired.

"Well, after he told me the usual 'you'll be a great Summoner someday if you train hard enough' speech, he started to talk about the Al Bhed, people who use machina, or machines."

"Machines? You mean like what old Gaffer builds? Those weird house-cleaning things?"

"Yeah, and to tell you the truth, Simon was not at all happy when I told him about old Gaffer's inventions." Braska laughed, but then became serious. "Auron, do you think…I could really become a Summoner?"

"Of course!" Auron looked a little surprised by this question. "If that zealot Simon can become one, then of course you can. And besides, you're a lot stronger than he is, in the heart, head, and body. You've got nothing to worry about." Braska nodded slightly, as though going over what he'd just heard. "Anyway, it smells like my mom is making some of her roast, so let's go eat!" His eyes danced with laughter. "Race ya!" He took off, and Braska, laughing wildly, ran after him.

Sonja sat by herself on a rock at the edge of the village, watching Braska and Auron walk together back to the village. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and there were tear stains on her face. She felt as though she would start crying again just by watching them, so she turned and walked back towards her house, dodging through the many huts. She stopped when she heard voices.

"The boy Braska…He has a promising future as a Summoner?" Came a high-pitched voice that sounded like Simon.

"Yes…I've seen that he will become the Summoner to bring us the next Calm…" Came an old woman's raspy voice.

"Good…"

"Also, that boy, Auron…he has an interesting future as well…linked to Braska…both of them will help rid the world of Sin…forever…"

"What?!" Simon cried out.

"All I can tell you is what I've seen…until next time." The old woman made sounds of moving away, while Simon stayed put. Sonja decided to peek around the corner, and to her surprise she saw Simon with his head in hands, sobbing.

"I can't let Yevon's teachings be overridden…I have to stop those…those heathens!" He looked up suddenly, and Sonja ran away, hoping that he hadn't seen her.

__

I have to tell Auron and Braska…


	7. Decisions, Decisions

Author's note: alright, I've got new chapters coming out of my ears…I just came up with a good idea for a new chapter, so I had to write it down while I could. Anyways, heeeere's chapter 7!

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Chapter 7: Decisions, Decisions

Auron had finished his dinner, and he was walking to Braska's house, taking the long way around in order to avoid going by Sonja's house. The sun was starting to set, setting off yellowish highlights on the clouds in the horizon. Evening breezes were winding through the huts, rustling grass and ruffling Auron's dark green jerkin. He was happy to notice that the Field was empty, which meant that the pesky girls wouldn't bother him.

He continued to plod along, slowly dragging his feet, sort of without direction. He meandered through the huts, his thoughts wandering to other places other than Westra. He wondered what the world outside of this town was like. The Summoner had said something about this village being on an uncharted island, but a lot of people seemed to know where it was…but then, most of the people that knew of Westra had either lived there or had family connections. Auron began to wonder if maybe this island was uncharted for a reason. If Yevon supposedly reached to all corners of Spira, then why had he never even heard of him? 

A sound of footfalls behind Auron broke his reverie, and he spun around. His bronze eyes settled on Sonja, who stood a few feet away, with her blonde hair pulled back in a pony-tail and her bluish cloak billowing in the wind. Her green eyes had a look of worry in them that Auron had never seen before. It frightened him.

"What do you want?" His ego, however, was still burned from their tiff earlier that day. "I already…"

"Auron…" Sonja intervened. "I'm not here to apologize."

"Than what…" Auron shook his head in frustration and started to walk away.

"Wait!" She ran up behind him and grabbed his arm. "That Summ…Sum-ner from…The guy that's decided to be Braska's Master…" Auron whirled on her.

"Spit it out!" She took a step back at his tone, then looked around uncertainly. "Well? Are you going to tell me or not?" 

"Umm…Well, I…uh…" She stammered. "Were you going to see Braska?"

"Yes, but I don't want _you_ to come with me, so either tell me here or don't tell me at all."

"Fine! If you don't want to know that someone's gonna kill you, then that's just FINE with me!" She turned away from him, more angry at herself than Auron, and it was his turn to grab her arm.

"What _are _you talking about?" Auron didn't know what to think. Who would want to kill him? _Probably Sonja…_

"That Sum-ner, Simon!" Sonja began to wonder why she had even tried to help him in the first place. Auron stood there for a second, undecided on what to do. He stared at Sonja, but was looking through her, trying to comprehend what she was saying. He made a decision, even if it was against his better judgment. 

"Come on." He yanked her arm and walked at an extremely fast pace, pulling her with him.

"Ow!" She protested, but she couldn't free herself from his grip. "Auron…!" He let go of her when the stopped in front of Braska's hut, and he knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Came a muffled feminine reply.

"It's Auron, Madam Jade." He replied in a polite voice that surprised Sonja.

"And Sonja!" She quipped, hoping to avert whatever Auron was thinking. An older woman came to the door, her dark hair laced with wisps of gray and her dark brown eyes keen.

"Ah, it's good to see you Auron, and you Sonja." She smiled kindly at them, and stepped to the side to let them inside. "Braska's in his room." She walked into the kitchen to dry some dishes that had just been cleaned.

"Thank you." Auron replied, and he walked to the far end of the cabin to a ladder that led into a loft. The 'room' was really just a place for a pile of hay that had a quilt on it. There was also a small table with a pillow for a seat on the other side of it, and Braska was hunched over something on that table, and didn't turn around when Auron and Sonja noisily clambered up the ladder. A candle was burning on the table, and looked as though it had been that way for awhile. "Braska?" The dark-haired boy still didn't respond. Auron had to bend over to keep from hitting his head on the roof as he walked over to his friend's side. "Hey!" He shook Braska's shoulder. He had fallen asleep reading a parchment full of strange markings and a new drool spot.

"Huh, what?" Braska jerked into an upright position. "Auron! …and Sonja!" Braska would've stood up if the small space would've allowed it, but he settled for turning around to face them. "What are you two doing here…no, let me rephrase that, what is _she_ doing here?" He pointed to Sonja.

"I…" She started to speak, but Auron silenced her.

"We need to talk." He said simply, a look of warning in his expression. Braska was taken aback, but he nodded.

"Okay, let's go…" He turned and blew out the candle and they proceeded to climb down the ladder and exit the house.

"So what's this all about anyway?" Braska shivered a little as cool wind blew, and he rubbed down his goosebumps.

"Ask Sonja." Auron jabbed his thumb at the despondent girl.

"Hey, you okay?" Braska asked worriedly when Sonja didn't say anything. They had walked from Braska's house and were now out on the abandoned Field. The stars were covered by clouds, and it smelled like rain. The tall grass were like whips as the wind blew them around. 

"The summ-ner, your Master…" She was acting strange, and neither of the boys knew why. "He…I think he's planning to kill you." She looked up at Braska with big eyes to show her earnest, but Braska was unbelieving.

"What?" He was incredulous. "Why would you even think something like that, Sonja?" 

"Because I heard him talking to some old lady, that weird seer-woman!" Auron was the one to be taken off guard this time. "She said something about you two bringing about the next…Calm…or something weird like that…and, well, he seemed happy about that, but then she said that you would get rid of Sin forever…I think…and then she left…"

"So far, Sonja, nothing of what you said makes me think that he wants to kill us."

"But then! After she said that you would get rid of Sin forever, he said that he would have to stop you 'heathens' from destroying Yevon…yeah, that's what it was."

"Did the old woman hear this?" Auron inquired.

"Well, no, she'd walked away and I was the only one…"

"Who heard it, right? Look, it's your word against his, and I don't think that a man like that…He's weird, there's no doubt about that…but I don't think that he would kill us." Auron stated.

"You mean…you don't believe me?" Sonja looked down, the tears starting to well up in her eyes again.

"Auron, she wouldn't make something like this up." Braska said, which caused a hopeful Sonja to look up.

"Oh, yes she would!" Auron said fervently. "You don't know what she's like! She's not all innocent like some people think she is…"

"Auron! Just because you're mad at her doesn't mean you don't have to believe her. What reason would she have to lie to us? Especially about something like this?"

"I don't know, but why would someone like Simon want to kill us?" Auron glanced from Sonja, and then back to Braska, his anger fuming out of his every pore. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"Simon doesn't make any sense!" Braska was starting to lose his temper as well, a rare occasion. "He's a self-centered idiot who can't see past his own nose!" Both Auron and Sonja were shocked. Braska almost never talked like that about his elders. "He bases his opinions based on a questionable religion, which doesn't even give the reason for the opinion. He also has a tendency to lose it sometimes, so I wouldn't put something like killing 'heathens' past him." Braska looked at them, uncertain of what to do next.

"But…I thought…" Auron was muddled beyond belief. He knew that Simon was bad, but he didn't think that he was _that_ bad. "I…"

"We'll have to take this to Jeran." Braska moved immediately away from the boulder they had been talking by and headed back to the village, with Auron and Sonja following closely behind. Rain started to fall at a slight drizzle, and the clouds seemed to become darker. Unbeknownst to the trio and to the entire village, a huge being was making its way through the ocean, heading straight for Westra.

Author's note: Well, it's another cliffhanger, but it's not so bad this time…I think…I'm sorry if this one was a little boring, but I'll make up for it in the next chapter. That's a promise! 


	8. A Child's Sin

A/N: Hey guys, I'm back, finally! Whew! Life's been a little unkind in offering spare time, so I'm sorry that these chapters are not getting out as fast as I would like. Thanks for the e-mails and encouragement, they've kept me writing! Here's Chapter 8! Enjoy!

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Chapter 8: A Child's Sin

The man called Simon tossed and turned, almost falling out of bed several times. His own scream finally roused him from his fitful sleep, and the lightening crashed through the sky, lighting his terrible, twisted features. 

"Sin!" He uttered. He jumped swiftly out of bed, the cold pit in his stomach turning to ice. "No!"

"But, Jeran…" Sonja protested. "I'm…"

"Do you realize what you're accusing this man of, Sonja?" Jeran's recrimination sent the girl into a fit of sobs. "This is not a game!" The level of his voice cracked a few times, and he was at the shouting level.

"But…Sir, Sonja wouldn't…" Braska tried to come to her defense, but to no avail. Auron had said nothing this entire time, refusing to say one way or the other. He thought that if he stayed neutral, Sonja would take all of the blame. It was selfish, to be sure, but he thought at that time that he would rather it be her than him. He was worried about Braska, however, since he was actually defending the girl.

"Auron!" Jeran whirled on the boy, startling him out of his silent reverie. "What have you to say about all of this rubbish?" Auron gazed at him coolly, judging his next words carefully.

"Sir, I think that Sonja means well…" Auron stopped himself, contemplating what to say next. If he said the wrong thing, he would forever be looked down upon by Jeran. On the other hand, if he said that Sonja was lying, he probably wouldn't survive the next training session at his uncle's. He glanced at her tear-stricken face. His heart sank as he spoke the next words. "But I believe that she might just be making this all up." She stared at him, open-mouthed. Auron refused to look at her, and suddenly his boots became very interesting. She fled from the room, her blue cape flying behind her. Braska glared at his friend, and turned on his heel and left to look for Sonja. Auron then looked up at Jeran, who was also looking at him with disapproval.

"Never turn your back on your friends, Auron. Let this be a lesson to you for trying to act above your years." Jeran also turned away from him, walking into his bedchamber and closing the door. Auron stood, alone, the tears welling up in his russet eyes.

The boom of the thunder coincided with his scream.

"Sonja!" The rain had started to come down hard, and it was pelting Braska as he searched through the Field. "Sonja, where are you?" The thunder drowned out his cries. Finally, he ran for the shelter of the forest, almost giving up on Sonja. His blue eyes glinted when the white light slashed through the sky, and Braska only had a few moments to think about why in the name of the Warriors did the storm have to happen tonight. "Sonja!" He brushed his way through the wet foliage, pushing back the leaves and holding branches out of his path as he found his way to Kyrie Falls. He realized that he hadn't been in this part of the forest since Sonja had been attacked by the gigantic wolf. The lightening flashed again, and he saw a figure sitting on the log in front of the rushing waterfall. The boom of the thunder intermingled with the roar of the waterfall drowned out Braska's yell. He ran through the clearing and ran up to the silhouette. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a girl. A girl with golden hair plastered to her head. "Sonja!" She looked up at him with bleary green eyes.

"Braska…" She looked back down, and even though it was raining, Braska was almost sure that he saw a tear slide down her cheek. Suddenly, Braska didn't seem to notice the unforgiving rain and sat down next to Sonja. "I hate Auron…" She sobbed. "He's so mean…"

"I'm sure that he doesn't mean it, Sonja…" Braska didn't really know what to say. Auron wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with, especially if he had a grudge. "He's just a stubborn little…He's just stubborn, that's all." Sonja broke down at this, her body collapsing and almost falling off into the water below. Braska caught her and she fell into his arms, sobs racking her body. Braska's look of shock was seen by no one, not even Sonja, but he tried his best to comfort her the best that he could. He patted her head, and held her against his shoulder where she had nestled her head. He was speechless, and could offer no words of comfort. He started to rock her back and forth, feeling that it was best thing he could do. "Sonja, it's all right." He said, realizing that they were both soaked to the bone. "Come on, I'll take you home so you can dry off. You wouldn't want to be sick would you?"

"I don't care!" She pushed away from him, invariably knocking him off-balance. He fell off the log into the water, yelping as he fell. "Braska!" She jumped after him, and almost landed on top of him. She grabbed a hold of his water-logged brown shirt and yanked him to the shore. "It's not safe to be in the water!" She dragged him up the bank, and Braska struggled against her grasp, trying to breathe.

"Let me go, Sonja!" He gasped. "Let go!" He yanked himself out of her hands with little resistance, rolling backwards in the mud because of the excess force. He stood up, facing Sonja, trying to keep his cool. "Look, stop being selfish, all right? Auron was trying to impress Jeran, that's all! Stop getting your feelings hurt because of something _Auron_ said. He doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself! He can't! He just doesn't work that way…I mean if…if you _threw_ yourself in front of him to stop him, he would just step on you!" Braska clenched his fists. "Why do you even care about that guy?" Sonja looked up, her blonde hair almost dark brown from the rain. 

"I don't…" She started to protest, thoughts swimming through her head. "I don't…" Lightning sparked through the dark sky, lighting up Braska's features. Sonja only caught a glimpse, but that was all she needed to see. His blue eyes were tortured with emotions neither of them could really explain. They couldn't understand their feelings of frustration, of anger, or of longing. Suddenly, Braska quickly grabbed Sonja's hand and started to drag her back to the village. "Braska…"

"Hush. We're going back, and you'll get all dried up." His tone was softly chiding, but she didn't mind. She didn't really pay attention to the path they were taking. Finally they reached the edge of the forest, and stood at the end of the Field.

A huge silhouette shrouded the place where the village should've been. Lighting flashed, and Braska and Sonja saw their worst fear.

"Everyone, this way!" Jeran yelled over the intensifying storm. The wind had turned into a gale, and it was almost impossible to hear anything over the constant booms of thunder. Jeran counted heads. Everyone was there except three people. Three children. Auron, Braska, and Sonja.

"NO!" Sonja screamed. "PAPA!" Braska grabbed her around the middle, forcing her to the ground.

"No, Sonja, stop!" She wrestled against him, trying to get away. "Sonja!" The village was swept away by a huge tornado that formed in a giant, black cloud. Houses were torn off of the foundations they had rested on for generations. Animals cried out in fear, some running for their lives, only to be caught up in the invisible torrent. Sonja almost squirmed away from Braska when she thought she heard her brothers. 

"Erik! Wesley!" She broke down crying. She became limp, sobbing uncontrollably. "No…This…this…can't happen…" She collapsed, unconscious. 

"Sonja!" Braska shook her, but to no avail. "Sonja…" He watched in terror and amazement as the giant beast moved away from the ruined village and the storm began to ease. Within minutes, it was over. The sky was clearing, and stars were reappearing in the black sky. The monster was gone, but so was the village.

Jeran pulled himself out of the rubble, rising into the sunlight. He blinked when he saw the destruction. His village he had worked so hard to protect. Gone. The tears began to well up in his eyes, but he blinked them away furiously. His people needed him now. He couldn't be weak. He turned to help out the few villagers that had made it safely with him into the underground shelter. It used to be a place for growing potatoes, but now it was in shambles, as were most, if not all, of the buildings in the village. He hoped against hope that the rest of the people had managed to make to safety. He knew that the beast that had attacked them last night was no ordinary Fiend, and he feared for the lives of the villagers that might've been stranded out in the open. He almost let go of the arm he was pulling on when he saw a dark-headed boy carrying a blonde girl back across what used to be the town square.

"Braska?" He muttered under his breath. He rubbed his eyes, just to be sure. "Braska?" He called out. Sure enough, the young boy looked up, his face dirty and his blue eyes bright with tears. He looked down again, concentrating on carrying what looked like Sonja. He stumbled and almost dropped her, but a woman who had come from the other underground potato-house helped him regain his balance. It was Braska's mother. When the boy looked up, he almost threw Sonja to the ground in his hurry to hug his mother. Jeran smiled to himself, and turned to help the rest of the men and women out of the hole they had been hiding in. However, one thing still burned in the back of his mind. Auron.

A/N: All right guys, I apologize again for the wait, but it couldn't be helped. I finally actually got the chance to write something that I WANTED to write for a change J Anyway, I'll try not to leave you guys hanging for too long this time, and I'll see ya'll lata! Oh, and I'm sorry this one's shorter, but I was pretty tired and I couldn't think of a better place to stop the chapter, so the next one will be longer!


	9. Aftermath

A/N/: Hey guys! Thanks for r/r-ing even though I've been a little slow getting the chapters out…it's harder than you think! :P Anyhoo, some major decisions will be made by all three of the kids, so be prepared! Have fun and enjoy! 

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Chapter 9: Aftermath

In the days after the horrific attack on the small unknown village of Westra, Jeran hunted through the refugees to see who had made it through that fateful night. Auron was still missing. Auron's mother and uncles had also disappeared, and the townspeople still able to work were digging through the rubble trying to find them, anyone, alive or dead. Braska was, amazingly, left completely untouched. Sonja, however, had a raging fever and was resting in the makeshift hospital ward.

Braska was searching through the debris that was once his house. Sweat glistened on his forehead before he swiped his head with his sleeve. The sun was high in the sky, and not a cloud was in sight. He had been happy that his mother made it through the night, but he was increasingly worried about his friend and rival, Auron. He was also worried about Auron's mother and uncles. No one had seen them, not even a trace. The old fortune-teller woman had been killed by a shrapnel, and she was only one of many that were filling up the graveyard. 

The death of the old woman was quite a blow to everyone in the village, especially to the children. She had filled their simple minds with ideas of adventure and heroism by sharing her tales and wisdom with them. Braska had a feeling that Auron, if he was even alive, would miss her the most, simply because she was the only one that didn't seem afraid to talk about his father.

As for Sonja's family, none of them were left alive. They were on their way home from a hunting trip when the storm hit, so they hurried back only to discover that their village was under attack. Unable to comprehend the power of the huge Fiend, they fought it blindly, and died the way of the warrior. 

Sonja still had yet to learn that she was now an orphan. 

Braska continued his struggle against the rock and wood, his hands covered in cuts and contusions. His only delight in his hard work was the refreshing breeze that came from the direction of the sea, carrying with it the scent of salt and sand. The last time Braska had smelled this fragrance was when Auron had killed the man that commanded the giant wolf. He looked up towards the horizon, watching the clouds roll across it. The sun was still relatively high, but it was way past noon. He guessed it to be almost time for dinner. The villagers were now eating together in a great mess hall that had been constructed from the wood and metal of forever-lost houses. Braska wasn't hungry, however, and he went in search of the sea. Not even really knowing it himself, he set out across the Field, the place of his childhood, in search of something he didn't even know he was looking for.

"Ugh…" 

The sound of wood creaked, and he felt as if he was being dragged or carried by a large creature. The boy looked up, his bronze eyes watching the leafy canopy as it crept by. The creature, he realized, that was dragging him was a very large man. He curiously blinked once or twice, trying to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on his brain. He had no idea where he was, other than in a forest, lying on a makeshift stretcher, and being carried by a large man who looked like a Fiend. _Fiend?_

The adolescent shook his head, which only made his head swim. How long had he been asleep, he wondered. His stomach grumbled, and he looked around at the various bags and parcels swing to and fro on the backpacks of the people surrounding his stretcher. _More people?_ One of them was a woman, and he stared at her face, studying it. It seemed quite familiar to him, and it spoke a name to him. _Auron._ "Mom?" His voice was harsh, and it croaked when he spoke.

The woman smiled sadly in response. "Yes, honey, what is it?" She patted his forehead soothingly. "Don't worry, we'll set up camp soon."

A thought suddenly popped into his head. "Mom, why are we here?…Where's Braska?" He looked around, a little more worried. "Where are we going?"

"We don't know for sure yet. Just go back to sleep and rest, okay?" A single tear slid down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly and put on a brave face. The two men, including the large man, were silent. 

Finally, after no getting his answers, Auron gave up and began to drift off to sleep.

"Lyla, the boy's got the Toxin…" Drogan spoke up finally when the boy's breathing deepened.

"I know, Drogan." Came an exhausted reply. "Only time can cure it."

The light was so bright that Sonja's green eyes could barely handle it. She closed them the instant that she opened them. She moaned, not sure what to do next. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she cracked open her eyes, peeking out from the protection of her eyelids. It took a second for her eyes to even adjust to that little amount of light, but when they did, they saw the Village Elder, Jeran, looking down on her with sympathetic eyes. Something was wrong, she had seen that look when he came to their hut ages ago to deliver the news of her mother's death. 

"No…" Sonja clenched her eyes shut. Tears were squeezed out and fell down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Sonja…" Was all Jeran could bring himself to say.

"All of them? Jeremi? Erik? Wesley?" She pleaded. "My dad?"

Jeran shook his head. He could think of no words to comfort her. He had been delivering messages like that all day, and it was beginning to wear on him. It was his job to tell his people what they'd lost. At the town meeting, they had decided to start over. From the beginning. He knew they'd persevere, but so many lives had been lost in the seemingly meaningless attack. He looked away from the sobbing girl and wondered where to go from there.

Braska walked through the forest, almost aimlessly, his thoughts drifting back to his mother, Karmen. He hoped she wouldn't be worried, he hoped she would understand. A few of the villagers had seen him leave, maybe they would tell her. Maybe he really would go back, if he became homesick. Maybe he would be killed by a stray Fiend. At that point, all Braska knew was that he had no idea where he was going. He knew that his friends were gone, Auron had disappeared, Sonja would probably never be the same again. He knew nothing could ever be as it was.

"Why?!" He yelled to the silent, patient trees. "Why did that…that monster attack the village?! We didn't do anything wrong!" Still no reply. Braska felt the hot tears welling up in his eyes, and for the first time in his life, a tear ran down his cheek. "It's not fair! They were my friends…my family! Why were they taken away…" The wind picked up, whirling around him in a miniature tornado. Leaves encircled him, and his dark hair flew around.

He held out his hand to try to catch a leaf, but instead he felt water hit his hand. A small girl appeared in front of him. Not a girl. _A Sprite?_ Her hair was blue, and her skin was a cream color. She was completely nude, and she had the figure of a little girl. Her hair was very long as was down by her ankles. A voice permeated his thoughts, and the wind stopped.

__

Don't worry…

Braska took a step back. The child's voice sounded trustworthy, but that's what made him so worried.

__

I won't hurt you…I want to help.

"Why do you want to help me?"

__

You're lost. The voice almost sounded offended. _My job is help the people who are lost. My name is Lumina. I'm a Forest Spirit. _

"A forest spirit?" Braska tilted his head, trying to look into her eyes, if was indeed a girl.

__

Yes. We guide those poor souls ill-fated enough to become lost in this forest.

"We?"

__

Yes, there are many of us. Now come. I will take you to where you were going.

"But…"

__

You need not worry that you _knew not where you were going. Your heart did._

She took his hand and led him into the forest.

Auron awoke, aware that he was no longer in familiar surroundings. It was dark, and the sound of snoring was close by. He opened his eyes and they fell upon two sleeping forms. A giant one and a petite one. The giant one was snoring while the petite was twitching in its fitful sleep, apparently dreaming. _There was a third…_ Sure enough, over by a tree, a tall, skinny man was standing watch. _Watching for Fiends._ Auron felt strangely secure, but a little…homesick. Funny that he couldn't remember what home looked like. He lay there, looking up at the stars past the treetops. They were still in the forest, but the greenery had changed. There were more pine trees, less leafy ferns. On the ground, the bushes were nonexistent. Pine needles littered the forest floor, covering every inch of dirt.

He was lying on a rug, covered in blankets. Even with the blankets, he was strangely cold. _Snow?_ Snow was starting to fall through the clearing, sending shivers down Auron's spine. _Where are we that it would snow in the middle of summer?_

Old Gaffer was preparing his flyer when he saw the little girl sitting on the lone boulder in the Field. Her blonde hair was swept away by the wind, and even at that distance he could tell she'd been crying. He shook his head sadly, and placed his old goggles on his face. He started the flyers engine, preparing to leave this village he'd called home for so many years. Home. Again, he shook his head. He'd thought he'd found refuge from the world, but he was heading right back into it.

The flyer lifted off, and he flew over the Field. The girl looked up at him, her eyes curious, almost forgetting their sadness. He looked at her through the goggles, and considered. He looked at the rope ladder, and then to the girl still staring in awe at the flying machine. He shrugged and tossed it down to her, gesturing for her to climb. She looked at the rope as it started to go by her, but she didn't grab it. Gaffer shrugged again and started to pick up speed, heading towards the ocean. 

"Wait!" He heard a high-pitched cry came over the sound of the propeller. "Wait!" He looked behind and saw that the girl was running at top speed to try to catch up with the retreating ladder. He waved her on.

"Come on then…" He slowed down a bit, just enough so as not to lose altitude and also let her reach the ladder. She grabbed ahold and started climbing. She reached the seat behind the pilot and gasped at the view.

"Mr. Gaffer?" She squinted at him, the goggles hiding his features. He nodded. "Where are we going?"

"Home."

Jeran watched as Sonja flew away on old Gaffer's flyer. He wasn't surprised that she would want to leave. He had also discovered that Braska had left. Villagers said they saw him walk into the forest, and without any supplies, not even a weapon. When Jeran informed his mother however, she seemed neither surprised nor worried. In fact, she seemed happy.

Auron and his family had just flat out disappeared. There was no sign of their bodies, and Jeran knew that they had escaped. Where to and why, he could only guess.

Jeran sighed. "Take care children. Don't let the world ruin your innocence, if it hasn't already…"

A/N: Well, what'dya think? You like? I tried to get this one out as fast as possible, but it's still not fast enough. I'll keep working hard, you just keep reviewing, k? J 


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